Improvement in grain-separators



UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID D. DIUKERSON, OF JORDAN, MINNESOTA.

IMPROVEMENT IN GIIRAIN-SEPARATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 152,345, dated .lune 23, 1874; application filed February 17, 1874.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID D. DIeKERsoN, of Jordan, in the county of Scott and State of Minnesota, have invented certain Improvements in Grain-Separators, of which the following is a specification:

My invention consists of an air-defiector, applied to the lon gitudinally-adjustable screen of a fanning-mill, whereby the air or bla-st from the fan is directed upward through the meshes of the sieves above, for the purpose of more effectually separating the lighter materials from the grain; and also in the application of a rack and pinion, for adjusting the screen, with a locking-cam to secure itin place when adjusted, all as hereinafter more fully set forth.

Figure l is a perspective view of the shoe of a fanning-mill with my improvement applied, a portion being broken away to show t-he `interior. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same.

My improvement is more especially intended for cleaning wheat, and assorting or dividing it into different grades, as required for market; but may be used with advantage in the cleaning of all kinds of grain.

In the drawings, A represents the shoe or shaking-frame that holds the sieves in a fanning-mill or grain-separator. In this sh'oe, a

gang, B, of sieves, are usually mounted toseparate the chaff and other light material from the grain 5 these sieves being sometimes made separate, so they can be changed or arranged at will, and at other times being united in a gang, as in this case. It is customary in cleaning and asserting wheat for market to use underneath the sieves B one or more screens, which are of such sized meshes as to separate the larger and plumper kernels from the smaller and lighter ones, and by that means divide the grain into two qualities or grades. Experience has shown that it is diiiicult to effect this separation satisfactorily, and besides, that there are certain seeds mixed with the wheat that it is difficult to separate therefrom by the ordinary means. To remedy these ditticulties I take the upper or wheat screen C, and attach to its rear end a curved deflector, D, made preferably of zinc or other sheet metal; this deflector D being bent or curved up at its rear end, as shown in Figs. l

and 2, so a-s to deliect the current of air or blast from the fan, and cause it to pass upward through the meshes of the sieves above, as indicated by the arrows in Fio. 2, instead of passing back between ,the sieves, as it ordinarily does. By this means the heavy kernels are separated from the lighter, the former falling through the sieves upon the screen C infront ofthe deflector D, while the lighter kernels, being lifted or prevented from falling by the ascending current of air, are carried further back on the sieves, and fall in rear of the deflector upon the lower screen E, which delivers them at a different point from those that fall on the screen C, thereby effecting a thorough separation of the grain, and delivering it graded ready for market. In order to adj ust the screen with the deiector D forward or back, as may be required, I attach to the under side of the screen near each edge a rack, n, which engages with a corresponding pinion, e, on a rod, j', which passes transverse] y through the shoe A, as represented in the drawings, so that by turning the rod f the screen and dellector may be shoved forward or back, as desired. In order to fasten it in place when adjusted I pivot to the end of the rod f a handle or cam, h, by which the rod can'be turned, and which, when turned on its pivot, will lock the rod-so it cannot be turned; there being a thumb-nut on the opposite end of the rod j', by which it can be tightened up so as t-o make the cam h bear with any required degree of tightness.

When it is desired to separate only the very choicest of the grain as first quality the deector will be moved further forward, and thus by adjusting it forward or back the grain can be graded just as desired.

I find this improvement of advantage, also, in cleaning other kinds of grain besides wheat, as the current of air passing up through the sieves tends to lift the chaff and lighter ma-4 terial so that the passing current of air gets a better hold upon it, and is, therefore, more certain to carry it back out of the mill.

l find this improvement especially serviceable in separating the seed ofwild hemp from wheat, which seed, bein g so nearly of the same weight of wheat, it is impossible to fully separate bythe ordinary mill or separator.

It is obvious that this deector may he np- 2. The rod f, provided with one or more plied to the separators used in thrashing-mw pinions, e, and the locking-cam h, in combinachines, as Well as to the ordinaryfarnning-mills. tion with 2t screen provided with correspond- Having thus described my invention7 what ing` rack u, for adjusting and securing the I claim is parts in place, as set forth.

1. The iongitudnztlly-adjustable screen C, DAVID D. DICKERSON. provided with the deflector D, arranged to Witnesses: operate in :L grain-separator, substantially as E. SOUTHWORTH,

shown and described. l J oHNsoN BRAGG. 

